Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-07-02
DIR. CRAIG'S PETITION.
The Responsibility for its Coucep-
ton Should Rest Where
il Belongs.
IL Did Not Originate with MIR. Nore
Nor Any OF Dr. Crais's Friends, hut
with Mayor BiaBdins How the Lat
ter betrayed His Friends.

To the average citizen, those who ere
not particularly observant of the manip-
ula,ions of the machine political, it may
have seemed strange that the ARGUS. a
democratic newspaper. should censure
Mavor Banding for his removal OF DIR.
Craig. republican. as it did about Il
week auo. 1t is the usual custom, of
course, for party organ to sustain an
administration of its own political belief
and one which it has been Instrumental
IN creating, and some papers uphold their
party friends whether they are right or
wrong. The ARGUS is not of that kind.
Ii is ready at all times to give credit
where credit is due, but it does not hest
tate to file its protest against either dem
ocratic or republican INSTRUMENTATION
when occasion aud the public good de
mands IL.
In the first place we don't think the
present administration can expect any
support from the ARGUS from demo-
cratic standpoint, rs while it makes great
professions of political faith. il does lit,
| tie or ANYTHING to sustain such profess
SONS, aud secondly il has betrayed the
men who are responsible for its creation.
To begin with, the mayor nominated a
republican street commissioner and a
bridge tender, when democrats would
have been confirmed for both places had
the mavor nominated them. They are
both good men, anu the ARGUS has moi
u word to say against them, out IT simply
mentions the matter to show how con-
slStenI politically, the mayor has been.
OF course the mayor claims that be is
handicapped by arepublican majority in
the council Tue enough, but what die
| they wantf They wanted the sHperin
| tcndrnt of waterworks and deputy mar
shal What is the situation today They
still retain the superintendent OF water
works-iu opposition to the mayor-anC
have the treet commissioner and bridge
| tender hv his own volition.
But what the ARGus desires at Thu
time to particularly refer to. is DIR
| Craigs removal AS commissioner o
health While DR. CralT's decapitatIor
is a matter of public record, and that i
was done in direct opposition to TIN
wishes Of large majority of the citizen,
of Rock Island, it doesn't appear TO he
| generally known, or rather there is 4
| actuated DR. Craig to consent to have I
petition circulated for his retention TIL,
| opponents of DR. Craig have snecrlugll
| referred to his rrsurtlng to a petition Il
keep his position. and the same men 0p
posed Mr. ] IL Yore at the school elec
ton because he circulated the petition
and they used 1t wherever they though
| It would have any effect But that fac
didn't seem to lulure Mr. Iore's candi
iacv in the least. The idea of petition
originated with the mayor himself, and i
was upon his suggestion that it was got
| ten up. lie said there vas opposition t
| Craig III some quarters, and he wanted
| petition Ia back him up, as it were. Dr
| Craig didn't like the idea, said he neve
| had done 81 before, but finally consented
| fully believing that was the only thin!
necessary for his appointment. Til
| mayor suggested that few rCpieS' Mt
| alive democrats and republicans slgu tn
| ftbtbltil. JUL II W as Ph7tS
to show how general was DR.. Craig's en-
dnrsement, we publish the petition below
Ion V. NJ Elanding, Mayor of Rock Island:
DEAR SIR: We, the undersigned cit
zens OF Rock Island, Ill, regardless c
politics. do petition yoIr honor to REAP
point DIR. G. G. Craig health commission
er of this city, sincerely believing that i
50 doing you will best subServe the inter
esrs Of this city, aud at the same tim
uahe and competent officer We bcl,ev
this office should he free from polite,
aud that IN view Of DR. Cralgs eXpsrienC
hiS removal at this time would he grGj
loss to the CITY: